The Bad Weather Friend

tags: horror, humor, mystery, sci-fi. supernatural, suspense

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From Goodreads

Benny is so nice they feel compelled to destroy him, but he has a friend who should scare the hell out of them.

Benny Catspaw’s perpetually sunny disposition is tested when he loses his job, his reputation, his fiancée, and his favorite chair. He’s not paranoid. Someone is out to get him. He just doesn’t know who or why.

Then Benny receives an inheritance from an uncle he’s never heard of: a giant crate and a video message. All will be well in time. How strange—though it’s a blessing, his uncle promises. Stranger yet is what’s inside the crate. He’s a seven-foot-tall self-described “bad weather friend” named Spike whose mission is to help people who are just too good for this world. Spike will take care of it. He’ll find Benny’s enemies. He’ll deal with them. This might be satisfying if Spike wasn’t such a menacing presence with terrifying techniques of intimidation.

In the company of Spike and a fascinated young waitress-cum-PI-in-training named Harper, Benny plunges into a perilous high-speed adventure, the likes of which never would have crossed the mind of a decent guy like him.

Amazon Prime First Reads for the first time ever offers one great book and possibly one good book to start the year.

Dean Koontz's The Bad Weather Friend is superb. The usual sci-fi, horror, humor, mystery, and supernatural are all present, with a little romance added to the mix. It has a fabulous happy ending and I laughed out loud at the parts where Dean Koontz poked fun at almost everything from "climate change advocate"(Greta), pronouns (he/she/it/they/them), smutty fictions (A Game of Thrones), industrial cheap home decor (Ikea), EVs, artists with no actual talent (Francis Bacon, Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock), and so much more.

Nice Benny never gets angry and doesn't get shocked by anything. When he was a small child, his abusive and drunkard father was shot and killed in front of him. He was spared by the killer because he didn't go into hysterics nor manifested fear. He instead proudly showed the LEGO he was building, a staircase to heaven, and the killer probably thought he was a retard. 

His most horrible experience was in a private school out in the remote mountains when he was 13 years old. The demented wife of the school principal seemed like a descendant of Dr. Moreau, experimenting on unsuspecting children of wealthy parents. She was actually infected by aliens and was being used by nefarious secret government agency to study how to subdue the citizens but she had a more sinister plan which was to rule the whole universe. 

When he was a 23 year old successful realtor, he received a shipment from his weird Uncle and the box contained an 1800 year old 7 foot tall alien being called a craggle. Spike, the craggle reminds me of a golem or a jinni. He has super powers and is staying with Benny to protect him from evil people, AKA the elites, who cannot stand nice people and want to kill them all to prevent more nice people to multiply.

I like the humor, the political jabs, and Odd Thomas vibes, although I find Dean Koontz inserted too many metaphor.

I love the book and recommend it to Dean Koontz fans. (Leftists will find themselves being ridiculed in the book so avoid if you are a humorless leftist.) 😁

The Intangible

tags: broken people, soap opera

⭐

from GoodReads

Amanda Jackson has always longed to be a mother. The early weeks of her first pregnancy are a mixture of joy, anticipation, and uncertainty as she and her husband prepare for the journey ahead.

Then comes a devastating loss. Even though her doctors tell her otherwise, Amanda believes she’s still pregnant. Her diagnosis is a rare, mysterious condition called pseudocyesis. Betrayed by her mind and body and her marriage strained, Amanda turns to neuroscientist Patrick Davis for answers.

Patrick understands the strange twists and turns of the human mind better than anyone. But as he spirals ever deeper into Amanda’s illness, his own homelife crumbles as his wife, Marissa, struggles to cope with her own loss. Marissa’s unique and, some may think, macabre work is her salvation, but it’s pulling her further and further away from Patrick.

As the two couples confront the fraught intersection of science, death, and human emotion, they venture into the darkest corners of each other’s lives. What they find there could change them forever.

*Sigh* I never learn. Once again I got tricked by glowing comments on Amazon, and the science aspect convinced me to download the book from Amazon First Reads for January 2022. What a huge disappointment and complete waste of my time! The book, inhabited by broken people, is nothing more than soap opera disguised as science-y. There are extremely long paragraphs on science and mathematics that bored me to death. The math theory that Marissa is working on is supposed to discover parallel universes but it never came to fruition. Nothing. So what was the point? SMH

Spoilers

Constance

tags: clones, mystery

⭐

from GoodReads

In the near future, advances in medicine and quantum computing make human cloning a reality. For the wealthy, cheating death is the ultimate luxury. To anticloning militants, it’s an abomination against nature. For young Constance “Con” D’Arcy, who was gifted her own clone by her late aunt, it’s terrifying.

After a routine monthly upload of her consciousness—stored for that inevitable transition—something goes wrong. When Con wakes up in the clinic, it’s eighteen months later. Her recent memories are missing. Her original, she’s told, is dead. If that’s true, what does that make her?

The secrets of Con’s disorienting new life are buried deep. So are those of how and why she died. To uncover the truth, Con is retracing the last days she can recall, crossing paths with a detective who’s just as curious. On the run, she needs someone she can trust. Because only one thing has become clear: Con is being marked for murder—all over again.

The book is one of Amazon's First Reads choices and as expected, it is disappointing. The book is touted as science fiction and thriller but I find there's very little science fiction besides the cloning of the rich people who can afford it. The novel is nothing but a mediocre murder mystery with mediocre writing.

The premise is intriguing but the author does not deliver. On top of that he insists in making it annoying mentioning the ethnicity of ALL the characters, major and those who appeared just once. Who writes like that? It's distracting and does not add anything to the story except the author appears to be trying hard to sell this book to woke Hollywood hoping it will get noticed because it is populated by the obligatory "diverse" characters. Give me a freakin' break. My new pet peeve in modern fiction that I find more awful than f and c bombs. And the clones? Forgeddaboutit! The ending reads like a chaotic slapstick comedy trying hard to be serious. And the worst part is, this is book 1 of a series. Yikes! This novel is one big Con job. Sorry, I couldn't resist. 😉

Not recommended.

The Woman In The Moonlight

 

tags: Amazon First Reads, Beethoven, Giulietta Guicciardi, historical fiction, "Moonlight" sonata

from GoodReads

A stirring and romantic historical novel about nineteenth-century Vienna and the tragedy and dynamic passion that inspired Ludwig van Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

Vienna, 1800. Countess Julie Guicciardi’s life is about to change forever. The spirited eighteen-year-old is taking piano lessons with Ludwig van Beethoven, the most talented piano virtuoso in the musical capital of Europe. She is captivated by his volatile genius, while he is drawn to her curiosity and disarming candor. Between them, a unique romance. But Beethoven has a secret he’s yet to share, and Julie is harboring a secret of her own, one so scandalous it could destroy their perfect love story.

When Beethoven discovers the truth, he sets his emotions to music, composing a mournful opus that will become the Moonlight Sonata. The haunting refrain will follow Julie for the rest of her life.

Set against the rich backdrop of nineteenth-century Vienna, The Woman in the Moonlight is an exhilarating ode to eternal passion. An epic tale of love, loss, rivalry, and political intrigue. A stirring portrait of a titan who wrestled with the gods and a woman who defied convention to inspire him.

Ugh! What did Beethoven ever do to deserve disgusting fictionalized stories about him and his ladies.  First, the hokey movie, Immortal Beloved, which is tolerable because Gary Oldman was good as Beethoven and I like the soundtrack. 

I cannot say the same for this new historical fiction novel featuring the Hungarian Countess Giulietta Guicciardi who was supposed to be the dedicatee to Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 14, or what is known as "Moonlight" sonata. I can understand fictionalization for romantic novel purposes but this book made me cringe so much. The book reads like a Wikipedia entry with emotionless main character narrating in the first person, Julie/Giulietta. The language IMHO is too modern for the 1800s. Julie describes Beethoven as a short man at 5 feet 4 inches tall and she 5 feet 8 inches tall. What young woman in the 1800s contemplates on stature? Nothing to do or think about? Geez. There is so much "telling" instead of showing events and their relationship. The author did a lot of research but she also trivialized Beethoven and his fictional lady love. I also hated the stupid maid of Julia, Lucy, who is so annoying and does not know her place. She's written as if she's an equal to the countess. SMH. Stupid author. I bet Beethoven will be needing very sturdy straps to prevent him from turning over and over in his grave. *Julie in real life did not fall in love with Beethoven, nor did he with her although he dedicated Piano Sonata No. 14 to her.*

This novel is one of the choices for September 2020 Amazon First Reads. Avoid it if you love Beethoven and his music and/or if you want to keep your IQ points.

Someone Else's Secret

 tags: Amazon First Reads, soap opera 

from GoodReads

2009. Lindsey and Georgie have high hopes for their summer on Martha’s Vineyard. In the wake of the recession, ambitious college graduate Lindsey accepts a job as a nanny for an influential family who may help her land a position in Boston’s exclusive art world. Georgie, the eldest child in that family, is nearly fifteen and eager to find herself, dreaming of independence and yearning for first love.

Over the course of that formative summer, the two young women develop a close bond. Then, one night by the lighthouse, a shocking act occurs that ensnares them both in the throes of a terrible secret. Their budding friendship is shattered, and neither one can speak of what happened that night for ten long years.

Until now. Lindsey and Georgie must confront the past after all this time. Their quest for justice will require costly sacrifices, but it also might give them the closure they need to move on. All they know for sure is that when the truth is revealed, their lives will be forever changed once again.

From a fresh voice in fiction, this poignant and timely novel explores the strength and nuance of female friendship, the cost of ambition, and the courage it takes to speak the truth.

Why does Amazon publish badly written novels? I know, they are free for Amazon Prime subscribers but do they have to be horrible? The book is as fresh as a stale 1980s soap opera script, stiff and unnatural, and mostly based on contrivance. 

2009: The 22 years old girl Lindsey couldn't land a job appropriate for her major in college and has no choice but to accept a job as a nanny to a family with a 14 year old girl and 5 year old boy. They will be staying at their summer house in Martha's Vineyard for the summer break. The mother doesn't work so why do they need a nanny? There won't be a story then if she's capable of looking after 2 children. 

The author tried to underscore the difference in status between the rich and people like Lindsey, making the rich spoiled brats and just plain abhorrent. And all the men are sex maniacs except for one townie. Townie! Didn't I say this is like a 1980s soap? It doesn't help that Lindsey has humongous breasts and the author reminds the reader that she is a walking cantaloupes on a human body. She mentions them at least once in every chapter lest you forget. Oh, for Pete's sake!

Spoilers

Rain Will Come

 tags: mystery-crime, thriller, vigilante


from goodreads

Paul Czarcik, the longest-tenured detective in the Illinois Bureau of Judicial Enforcement, puts the rest of the team to shame. Ruthless and riddled with vices, Czarcik always gets his man. And fast. Until now…A double slaying isn’t the open-and-shut case of urban crime he’s used to. Connecting it to a high-profile Texas judge, Czarcik realizes something bigger is going on. It’s the work of a serial killer for whom Chicago is just the beginning. Now he’s inviting Czarcik to play catch-me-if-you-can on a cross-country murder spree.Going rogue, Czarcik accepts the challenge. But as the bodies pile up, he must come to grips with the fact that nothing—not the killer, the victims, or the rules—is what it seems in this bloody game of cat and mouse.

Rain Will Come is one of Amazon's First Reads selections for April 2020. Amazon's offers have been dismal and this is the first time I've enjoyed a freebie in more than 2 years. The book reminds me of the movie The Boondock Saints although the novel lacks the laugh-out-loud moments in the movie. I like the author's thoroughly engaging writing style and his mild sense of humor.

Paul Czarcik cusses often, drinks a lot, hires a prostitute just to converse, and once in a while snorts coke. In other words, he is not a very likeable character but he does his job well. He is pursuing a vigilante serial killer who targets evil people. I sometimes get conflicted and can't 100% disagree with the killer's mission. Very similar to Dean Koontz's Nameless Series. Czarcik is always one step behind the killer and as he gets to know more about him and his motive, the more he realizes they have something in common. One negative is a possible romance which is unnecessary.

Recommended for mystery fans. Free for Amazon Prime members until March 31, 2020.